


Unwanted Gifts

by Nicrophorus



Category: Bionicle - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-11-16 09:05:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11249964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicrophorus/pseuds/Nicrophorus
Summary: My entry for Ghost-Mantis' Spherus Magna slice-of-life story. I've had this idea putzing around in my head for years, but never had an excuse to write it down. I'm very happy to finally have it done!





	Unwanted Gifts

Moving down the bustling streets of New Atero, Ackar felt the warmth of a summer day in Bota Magna, which seemed poised to melt him out of his armor. Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, Ackar remembered the words of Certavus.  _ A warrior’s most dangerous enemies come from within, _ he had said.

Today, Ackar’s enemy was hunger. The latest meeting of the Council of Elders had gone long into the night, as Agori, Turaga, Vortixx, and others argued over details that seemed barely significant to most townsfolk. All the same, it was Ackar’s job not only to protect the esteemed representatives, but to ensure the council did not lose sight of Mata Nui’s parting wishes: chiefly, the integration of organic and biomechanical societies. Some days, it was a harder job than others.

So it was that Ackar proceeded through the marketplace, stomach grumbling at every glimpse of food. He felt a vague craving for fruit, and so meandered to the produce market, picking his way through curtains of vines and stands crowded by hollering Bo-Matoran. Among the throng of green and blue, a flash of red caught his eye - a wooden stand free of decorative foliage, manned by a Ta-Matoran with a yellow mask. “Fresh fruit,” he was calling, “straight from the fields of Vulcanus!”

_ Perfect. _ Ackar respected the Bo-Matoran and the villagers of Tesara for their advanced horticultural practices, but in his opinion, no amount of elemental jungle power could replace the smoky hint of volcanic-grown food. He moved past an argumentative Steltian and approached the wooden stand labelled  _ Vohon’s Vulcanus Wares _ .

“Good afternoon, sir Glatorian,” said Vohon. “What can I interest you in?”

Ackar scanned Vohon’s shelves, skipping over the many baskets of thornax - the fruit tasted abominable, but had become popular with Matoran due to its high energy content - and settled on a single basket of violet-berries. Young folk disdained the berries for their bitter taste, but an older Glatorian couldn’t pass up their bone-soothing properties. As an added bonus, they went for much cheaper than trendier fruits. “How much for the whole basket?” he asked, pulling out his coin-purse.

“The violet-berries? That’ll run you 36 widgets,” said Vohon. “80 in Agori coins.”

Ackar stopped short, letting the coins fall back into his purse. “Come again?”

“10 for a handful, 25 for a branch, 80 for the basket. Bargain price.”

“That can’t be right,” said Ackar. “They’re violet-berries. Plant a seed, and they take over the whole plot. One berry’s not worth a copper.”

Vohon shook his head. “You’re not paying for the berries. You’re paying for the volcanic soil, transport across the plains, and the labor of my Ta-Matoran brothers. So it’s 80 for the basket. Take it or leave it.”

“How about 40?” Ackar offered, rooting through his coins. “That’s still a steal.”

“I’m not in the business of theft,” said Vohon, “or foolishness. The price stays where it is.”

Ackar felt his left eyebrow begin to twitch. “This is a racket. I could buy a basket twice that size for nothing from any of the Tesara stands.”

“And no one’s stopping you,” said Vohon. “It’s a free market. But for Vulcanus-grown? 80 for the basket.”

Ackar thought of a very clever insult, but bit his lip and nodded instead. “Very well,” he said, bowing his head, as was Matoran custom. “Good afternoon.”

“And a good day to you, too, sir,” said Vohon. “Come again.”

Ackar turned and walked away, breathing heavily.  _ I suppose Tesara-grown isn’t much worse off, _ he told himself, spotting a Bo-Matoran stand thronged with customers. He moved towards the line, murmuring to himself, before he felt a wall of heat slam into him from behind.

The voices of the market began to scream. Ackar turned to see Vohon’s stand engulfed in flames, fruits blackening and popping open in the blaze. Vohon himself was scrambling to unlock the stand and clamber out, but the fire was already twice his height and growing.

Ackar felt his heart chill with panic.  _ The only way to keep from freezing _ , Certavus had said,  _ is to move. _ Quickly, Ackar threw his coin-purse to the ground, then ran at the conflagration, legs gasping for air, and threw himself into the burning stand. “Hold on!” he yelled, wrapping his arms around Vohon - the Matoran’s metal body was scalding hot, and Ackar could feel his own skin blistering even within his armor - and carefully, activating the reserves of energy in his leg implants, Ackar leapt from the stand, carrying the Matoran with him.

Some onlookers began to cheer, but Ackar waved them silent. “Get out of here! Run!” he cried. “If that fire hits the thornax, this market is gone!”

Pulling Vohon to his feet, Ackar joined the fleeing crowd, urging them on. He and the merchant were halfway up the street when they heard a raging  _ whoosh _ , and the smoke above was replaced with billowing steam. Ackar coughed, hacked, and glanced back to see a group of blue- and white-armored Toa on the rooftops around the blaze, elemental energy streaming from their tools. Vohon’s stand was drenched and frozen over, killing the fire that had taken root. It was over.

Ackar stayed long enough to give his account to the Toa, see Vohon healed, accept his thanks for saving his life, and retrieve his coin-purse. As the market did not reopen afterwards, he headed home with no violet-berries, Tesara- or Vulcanus-grown. That was the least of his concerns. Sitting in his hut, beneath his collection of shields, Ackar stared at his shaking hand and wondered:

_ Why did you set that fire? _

~~~

Ackar had mixed feelings about the Arena Nuva. As a building, it was undeniably magnificent. Wrenched from the ground by Toa of Earth, Stone, and Iron, guided by the best architects in the city, it was a construction of impeccable design and breathtaking majesty. Each spire put the old Arena Magna to shame, and when its thousands of seats were filled with citizens of New Atero, its atmosphere was nothing short of electric. Yet as he looked around at the cavernous stadium, today empty of spectators, Ackar couldn’t help but feel the Glatorian tradition had lost sight of its history. Battles here were not a necessary evil in the desperate struggle against extinction, nor were fighters venerated champions who gave their labor on behalf of their villages. Here in the Arena Nuva, combat was left with only one virtue: sport.

“Look out!” Tarix shouted, and Ackar ducked just as a raging wind dumped decades’ worth of sand into the seats around them. As the two veteran Glatorian recovered, Tarix shouted, “Mind where your attacks land, Gresh! The audience is not your opponent - Kiina is!”

Down below, the green-armored Glatorian lowered his blades and waved up at Tarix and Ackar. “Sorry!” he called, his voice nearly drowned out by the cyclone he had summoned to encircle Kiina. As Ackar and Tarix watched, a waterspout erupted from within the whirlwind, spinning counter to its movement and freeing Gresh’s opponent. Kiina leapt forwards and fired a narrow jet of water from her trident, which Gresh barely deflected with a sudden gust.

“They’ve taken to their new powers well,” Ackar remarked.

“To an extent,” said Tarix. “They’re very strong, but they lack subtlety.”

Ackar chuckled. “All the same, they’re more attuned than me. What I wouldn’t give to be young again, eh, Tarix?”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” said Tarix, conjuring a shallow stream to carry the sand out of the seats and back into the arena. “In my experience, these powers are better used as tools than weapons. In true combat, the blade will still win the day. Look!”

Gresh had taken the fight to Kiina, carried by a rushing breeze. She parried his first attacks with walls of water - but when he summoned a raging wind that carried them away, she was left defenseless and too off-balance to summon more water. With a relentless assault, Gresh knocked her trident from her hands and forced her to the ground. Astonished, Kiina laughed and raised her arms in surrender.

“Remarkable,” Ackar murmured.

“It comes quite naturally, really,” said Tarix, and turned to Ackar. “If you’ve been having trouble finding focus, there’s nothing a little practice won’t solve. How do you feel about a sparring match, old friend?”

“No!” Ackar said, realizing he had been too forceful when Tarix shrank away. “I’m sorry,” he said. “But it’s not that that’s been troubling me. The heat of combat is when I can control it best. It’s the other times…” He collected himself and faced Tarix. “Sometimes it comes out in everyday life,” he said, “and it frightens me, Tarix. I don’t know how to keep it in.”

Tarix frowned, then placed a hand on Ackar’s shoulder. “I can’t say I’ve had that problem,” he admitted, “but I can imagine what troubles that might cause. And I promise you, old friend, you’ll find a way. And,” he added, a smile in his eyes, “I think I know just who you should talk to.”

~~~

Ackar pushed a vine to the side, crept around a massive tree, and wondered if he’d already passed through here. Every tree, every twisted shrub, and every moss-covered rock looked the same to him.  _ Even the Valley of the Maze has nothing on this jungle, _ he muttered.

Up ahead, he thought he could see a clearing, though whether it was his destination, he could not tell - until a sudden gust of wind rushed through the forest, snaking around the trees, whipping vines and leaves into a frenzy and scattering the myriad creatures hiding among the foliage. Ackar barely reacted in time, clinging to a firm-rooted tree as the whirlwind passed over and away. As the leaves began to flutter back to the ground, he continued into the clearing with renewed confidence.

“Good evening, Vastus.”

Vastus paused, perched on a sunken obelisk in the center of the clearing, his scythe balanced horizontally in his hands. Not moving from his position, he craned his neck to see the newcomer. “Ackar,” he said quietly. “I wasn’t expecting you.” Slowly, Vastus pivoted on the stone, then drifted to the ground on a gentle breeze. “I apologize for the whirlwind. I hope I didn’t catch you unawares.”

“No need to worry,” said Ackar. “Tarix sent me,” he explained. “He thought you might be able to help me with my power.”

Vastus narrowed his eyes. “You’ve had trouble controlling it?”

“Keeping it in,” said Ackar. Quickly, he related his encounter with Vohon. Vastus listened silently, lifting leaves with his power while Ackar spoke.

“You’re not alone,” said Vastus. “Our elements are bonded not just to our bodies, but to our minds. Any clouding of our emotions can bring them out. I learned this the hard way… and it seems you have, too.” He gestured to the clearing. “I found this place on a scouting mission some weeks ago. It’s quiet, and far enough from any settlement. So when the pressure builds, I come here, to release the power that’s been building up in me - someplace where it cannot harm anybody.”

“And that helps?”

“Not always,” said Vastus. “I also come here to meditate. To clear my head of all that has been hanging over me. Even so… thoughts are persistent. But that is the way of the world.”

Ackar thought this over for a long moment before Vastus spoke again.

“Would you care to sit with me awhile?”

Ackar blinked.

“Every mastered skill begins with a first try,” Vastus said. Ackar recognized the words, and Vastus nodded. “Even now, Certavus still guides me.”

“Alright,” said Ackar, and took a seat. “I’ll try it.”

_ Breathe. _

Ackar breathed.

_ With every breath, relax your body. Starting with your toes… your legs… and moving forward. Until there is nothing holding you down. _

_ Breathe. _

_ Now, go within your mind’s eye. Picture what troubles you… each memory, each thought, each fear… as a collection of thornax, or pebbles, or whatever comes to you. Everything that misleads you. _

_ Breathe. _

_ Now you have control. Clean the thoughts from your mind. Break them apart, imprison them… where they cannot lead anyone to ruin… _

Ackar breathed, and smoke wisped into his lungs. Coughing, he snapped open his eyes and leapt to his feet, sluggishly. Looking around, he saw the clearing ringed with fire - each and every tree ablaze, flames licking at their ancient bark. No sooner had he seen that horrific sight than he was knocked to his feet by a wind with the strength of a storm, which choked the air from the trees and scattered the fire to oblivion. Ackar lay surrounded by scorched trees and ashen leaves, coughing and hacking.

“Breathe,” Vastus said, gently pulling the smoke from Ackar’s lungs with his power. “Are you hurt?”

Ackar spluttered, took Vastus’ arm, and sat up. “No,” he said ruefully.

“That was a good start,” said Vastus.

“That?  _ That _ was a good start?” Ackar snapped. “Vastus, I nearly burned down your clearing. Don’t lie to me and say I’m making progress!”

“I don’t speak falsely,” said Vastus. “You relaxed and began to release your frustrations. Our only misstep was the choice of venue.” He looked around at the blackened trees. “Perhaps you could stake out a space in the desert, or the White Quartzes. If your fire cannot take root, it will stream away into nothingness.”

“No,” said Ackar, standing up and wrestling himself away from Vastus. “I’m sorry, Vastus. It’s just not for me.” He walked towards the smoldering trees - until Vastus barred his path with a wall of wind.

“Storm off alone, and you’ll wander into a biosaur nest,” Vastus said. “Let me guide you to the city, and then we can go our separate ways.”

Ackar sighed. Vastus was never one to brag, but he was always right. “Very well. But I don’t want to try it again.”

“Meditate while walking?” Vastus chuckled. “I’d never ask that of an amateur. Come along. No need to talk.”

It was nearly dawn, and the city’s spires were visible on the horizon, before Ackar broke the silence. “You talked about imprisoning my fears,” he said. “During the meditation.”

Vastus nodded.

“Surely that was intentional,” Ackar continued. “You knew who I would think of.”

“I know what it is you fear,” said Vastus. “Because I fear it, too.”

They walked quietly for several minutes.

“The Element Lords,” Ackar said.

“Yes.”

“I’m afraid… of what this power could turn me into.”

“That you might become too much of fire, too little of flesh,” said Vastus. “That having the power to destroy anyone who slights you would tempt you to use that power. Correct?”

Ackar stared at him. “Exactly.”

“The Lord of Jungle ordered me to set off an avalanche on an Ice Tribe road to cut off enemy supplies,” Vastus said. “It killed nearly two thousand Agori. Of course, the higher-ups claimed it was a miscalculation, but…” He shook his head. “After so long as a force of nature, I don’t believe my lord thought of those two thousand as people. I don’t believe he thought of himself as one, and so the word began to mean nothing to him.”

Vastus turned to Ackar. “But I am a person, and you are too. So is every Agori, Glatorian, and biomech on this planet… no matter how much power, or how little, they hold. When I worry… that is what I tell myself. Remind myself.”

Slowly, orange light began to filter through the canopy. Somewhere in the distance, a cave shrike called.

~~~

“The motion remains unresolved,” Raanu announced. “The Council will now take an hour’s recess.”

Ackar filed out of the Council’s chamber, where a chorus of grumbles still echoed. Finding a suitable nook in the corridor, he leaned against the wall and stood alone with his thoughts. That is, until he heard the clicking sound of metal on tile, and the distinctive whirring and buzzing of a biomechanical body. Ackar turned to see Toa Tahu walking towards him, resplendent in his golden armor and mask.

“Good day, Ackar,” Tahu said. “Some debate, isn’t it?”

Ackar chuckled dryly. “I never knew anyone could speak for so long about the merits of different cobblestones.”

“Indeed,” said Tahu. “It’s all impossibly tiresome. I don’t know how the Turaga can stand to do this all day.”

Ackar glanced at his armor. “What brings you here? And all dressed up, too?”

“Turaga Vakama, in his great wisdom, suggested I give a speech to remind the Council it is sworn to uphold unity among this city,” Tahu said with a mighty sigh. “And you can’t give a speech as the Rahkshi-slayer without the armor, now, can you?”

“It is quite beautiful,” Ackar said.

“It’s a pain to put on in the morning,” said Tahu. “And completely arbitrary. Its power is spent… the curse is within me now.”

Ackar frowned. “Curse?”

“Forgive me,” said Tahu. “I was being melodramatic. But consider…”

The Toa of Fire raised his hand. Suddenly, every inch of the corridor began to dim, though the lights stayed on. Ackar watched as the hallway was plunged into utter darkness, with even the glow Tahu’s heartlight masked in black.

“Darkness,” came Tahu’s voice. “Just one of the armor’s many gifts.”

Slowly, the corridor began to come into focus once more. “I wore the armor to destroy Makuta,” Tahu explained. “And once that was done, it rewarded me with all his forsaken powers. Some destiny!”

Ackar looked at Tahu with some degree of fascination. “Isn’t there any way to remove them?” he asked. “I’ve heard tavern tales from Matoran about Toa losing their powers. Didn’t you once lose…?”

“The Nuva Symbols?” Tahu laughed. “Those were just a handicap from my dear father Artakha… sort of like the ‘training wheels’ of your children’s cycles. And even those symbols couldn’t completely remove our connection to the elements, as Gali showed us.” He toyed with his power, stretching his hand and fingers into long, thin tendrils. “People have studied for years, trying to figure out how to take away powers. But it seems only the Great Beings have that ability, or no one at all.”

“That’s a shame,” said Ackar. “I suppose I was hoping someone might be able to do the same for me.”

Tahu looked at him as if he had proclaimed his loyalty to Makuta. “Give up the power of fire?” he cried. “Why in Mata Nui’s name would you want to do that?”

“Sometimes, this power is too much for me,” said Ackar. “When my emotions get out of control, so does the fire… and innocent people can get hurt. I’d rather be rid of that than threaten the people I’m trying to protect.” He stared at Tahu. “Surely, you’ve had that struggle.”

Tahu shook his head. “Fire is a part of who I am. I was made to be one with it. The fire wasn’t what I had to bring under control - it was my temper itself. But you’re already much wiser than I was. I’m sorry, Ackar. I don’t know what to say.”

“That’s alright,” said Ackar. “I can’t ask you to solve my problems for me. But thank you for speaking with me, all the same. And good luck with your speech.”

“You’re welcome,” said Tahu. “And good luck to you… brother.”

He stuck out his fist. After a moment, Ackar remembered the custom, and met it with his own.

~~~

When you thought about it, as Ackar was doing right now, Spherus Magna was a beautiful place. It was important to remember this, even when the entire planet was a war zone. Especially then.

“Lieutenant,” said a voice that crackled and popped. “What are you thinking about?”

“The beauty of it all,” said Ackar. From his perch on the arena’s spires, he could see everything laid out before him. New Atero… Vulcanus… with Iron Canyon behind it… the Great Volcano and the Valley of the Maze… the vast expanse of the Great Barren… and the mountain ranges all around, each one bigger than the last. Above him hung the familiar moons of Bota and Aqua Magna, their shapes reflected in the shimmering ocean. The view was simply breathtaking.

“I don’t see the appeal.” said the voice.

“If you’d only look, you’d see,” said Ackar. “Down there is where I drove my first Thornatus… and that waterfall is where I met my wife. My eldest son built a house there, in the Great Jungle, and it’s blissful to be there.” He motioned to the voice. “You should come with me sometime. Spend a few days there. Then maybe you’d understand.”

“Would it ease the pain?”

Ackar frowned. “I’d think so. There’s nothing a basket of violet-berries can’t soothe. Maybe some of my sister’s tea, to soothe your throat. You sound terrible.”

“Perhaps I am terrible,” said the voice. “Everything I touch crumbles, without my willing it. I would embrace your brother, only to see him turned to smoke. Or, sometimes, with my will, I destroy. Behold, Tajun,” it said, and Ackar saw the water village lying before him, little more than ash and rubble. “A thousand lives or more, swallowed up in a blaze, because I slept poorly in its inn. My vengeance is enormous and unyielding.”

Ackar grew angry. “I’m offering you an escape, and you refuse to listen. If one method doesn’t work, we can try the next. Bathe in the Great Sea to douse your flames, if that’s what you need to do!”

The air became thick and hot, and Ackar felt the heat of fire on his back. “So now you move to attack me,” he snarled. “Very well, Lord of Fire. If you wish to fight, I will meet you in battle!”

He turned from the view, into the Council hall, to face his enemy. But Ackar saw no other being standing there - only himself, reflected in a gilded mirror, his image shimmering in the heat. Distantly, he observed his body was on fire. No, the fire was not on him… it was burning from within. As he watched, transfixed, the fire grew and grew, flickering over his body, charring his skin. Then it began to peel away, in great flakes of flesh, until he saw only blackened bones staring back at him, a skull wreathed within a shell of flame -

Ackar awoke to find his house on fire. A beam fell to the floor beside his bed, smoldering. As he threw off his blankets and stood up, the first chair he looked at burst into flames. Somewhere outside the building, he could hear screams.

Ackar looked around at the blaze, smoke billowing above him, and sat down.

_ Breathe. _


End file.
